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I've just been put on vitamin B2 for headaches and was trying to get more information. Answer

What is riboflavin and how important is it to a vegetarian diet? Answer

I've just been put on 400 mg of B2, daily, for headaches and was trying to get more information.

New treatment for migraines includes 400 mg of riboflavin per day. Ask your doctor before beginning as this is a very large dose of riboflavin. You also want to make sure your doctor eliminates other possible causes for your headaches.

According to the most recent RDA, no cases of riboflavin toxicity have been reported. The stomach / intestines capacity to absorb riboflavin is rather limited.

What is riboflavin and how important is it to a vegetarian diet?

Riboflavin is vitamin B2 and is important to energy metabolism (processing nutrients like protein, fat, carbohydrate and alcohol that have calories to a form of energy that the body can use - ATP), normal eyesight and healthy skin. Foods high in riboflavin are milk, yogurt, cheeses, meat, leafy green vegetables, whole and enriched grains. Riboflavin is an essential vitamin and is easily destroyed by light. Oral contraceptives may cause a riboflavin deficiency as well.

Riboflavin is important to both vegetarian and carnivores (meat eaters). If you include the above vegetables and grains in your diet, don't abuse alcohol, you will probably consume sufficient amounts of riboflavin.